The Congress on Sunday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hours before the EC’s scheduled announcement of dates for the Lok Sabha polls, saying it was the first day of his “vidai parv” (farewell festival).

“It’s first day of Vidai Parv of Modi ji. Voters are ready,” said AICC spokesperson Pawan Khera.

The Election Commission (EC) is set to announce schedule for the high-voltage Lok Sabha elections, which is likely to be spread over seven to eight phases in April-May.

“The farmers, unemployed youth, small traders, they all were waiting for this day. Don’t know why Modi ji delayed this, (may be) to cut the ribbons for projects that started in Congress regime,” Khera said.

The poll panel is scheduled to give poll dates in a press conference scheduled this evening at Vigyan Bhavan.

The term of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 3. Khera said a new government will take over to rectify the “mistakes” made by Modi’s government.

Elections are not an end for the Congress, these are means for the party for good governance, he said.

“Modi in the past five years, has only been in campaign mode. Congress party is in campaign mode during elections, and in governance mode after elections,” said the Congress spokesperson.

In reply to a question that if there was any rethinking within the Congress over alliance with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP),Khera said the party’s stand was very clear.

“It is the AAP which is rethinking, it keeps rethinking over everything. As far as Congress is concerned, I think its very clear.

“Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit has clearly said it. Why so much doubts then?” he said in a press conference.

Dikshit after a meeting with Congress president Rahul Gandhi, on last Tuesday, said that there was unanimity in the party against alliance with the AAP in Delhi.

Gandhi recently said that Delhi unit of Congress was against alliance with AAP. However, there are speculations that the final word on the issue is yet to come out.

With announcement of elections, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make his bid to return to power amid hectic parleys by several political parties to put a united fight against the ruling BJP, the model code of conduct will come into force.